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Ofwat is considering rules that could widen scarcity-linked water pricing. Proposed charging changes would let companies give greater weight to water scarcity and efficiency, potentially accelerating tariff experiments during a summer of drought, restrictions, and rising bills.
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BP’s North Sea sale process is attracting several potential bidders. Neo Next+, Adura, and Ithaca Energy are among likely contenders for a portfolio valued around £2.5bn as BP reshapes its asset base and UK offshore operators consolidate.
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JPMorgan chief Jamie Dimon has renewed warnings on bank taxation. His intervention comes as Chancellor John Healey prepares for an October Budget and financial-services groups argue that higher sector-specific taxes could weaken investment and employment in the UK.
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Corporate Travel Management has secured fresh contracts despite overbilling repayments. The Australian travel group has won 26 UK public-sector awards worth £420m while repaying £42.8m linked to erroneous billing, intensifying scrutiny of government contract management.
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Whitehall is considering a wider consolidation of UK steelmaking assets. Officials are weighing combinations involving British Steel, Speciality Steel UK, Sheffield Forgemasters, and potentially Liberty Steel Dalzell as taxpayer exposure to the sector continues to grow.
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Planning changes will favour station housing while tightening pub protections. The revised framework raises density expectations around transport hubs and makes pub conversions harder, as ministers try to accelerate homebuilding without hollowing out local high streets.
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BP secured Venezuela’s Loran licence alongside XRG and UCC partners. The BP-led consortium can develop up to four trillion cubic feet of gas from the second phase of the offshore field, with three partners holding equal interests.
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T Level completions rose sharply as technical education expanded nationwide. Almost 20,000 students completed the qualifications this year, up more than 65%, as employers and government seek stronger routes into skilled work.
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UK food inflation eased despite earlier forecasts for sharp acceleration. Supermarket competition, consumer resistance, hedging, and cost reductions have helped contain shelf-price increases even as energy, wage, tax, and regulatory pressures continue.
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Urenco’s order book jumped 28% as nuclear demand strengthened globally. The London-headquartered enrichment group now has €27.3bn of contracted business extending into the 2040s as it expands capacity in the UK, US, and Europe.
